The Gun Goes Bang, Bang, Bang
by rosilea
Summary: Angela is traumatized when she gets the call about Jane and Frankie. She puts her fears aside when she finds Doctor Maura Isles in pieces in the waiting room. The mother takes the opportunity to pinpoint both women's feelings for each other so that she can ensure they realize what's been under their noses all along when Jane wakes up.


The world stopped turning and Maura Isles felt her stomach jump up into her throat. She couldn't feel her legs and her pulse blocked out the sound of people shouting around her as she sprinted toward Jane Rizzoli. She swiftly kicked off her Jimmy Choos and picked up the pace. No matter how fast she ran, she felt like Jane was growing farther away from her. She felt as though she was never going to reach her.

"Jane!" The woman's name slipped from her dry lips, her voice ragged and her throat sore. "Jane! _Jane_!"

"Maura!" Korsak called out to the honey blonde doctor as she ducked under the yellow tape and entered the crime scene. Several uniforms tried to stop the woman but she outran them, her well-trained legs moving fast. Korsak took off after her, his eyes focusing on her blood spattered dress. She had done enough for one day, she needed to rest.

"Jane," Maura collapsed next to the brunette, her knees hitting the rough concrete with a thud. She checked for a pulse; it was quiet but fast. Jane was losing too much blood. "Jane, you have to listen to me!"

"Maura, you need to go get checked out," Korsak approached her, his heart stopping when he finally got a good look at her face. "Maura. Please."

The woman known as the Queen of the Dead around the bullpen had never looked so... _emotional_. Her eyes were red and her nose was inflamed from crying. She was drenched in Frankie and Jane's blood, her blue dress and nude stockings ruined. Now that Jane's wound was being bandaged, Maura had moved on to doing CPR. The sounds that came from her were what made his chest hurt. The gut-wrenching cries of pain echoed in his ears as she begged her best friend to stay and listen to her.

She cried out promises to be better, to eat more burgers and to sleep in a little more often. She told Jane that she would watch whatever sporting game she wanted to on the TV, so long as Jane stayed with her. Korsak knew that the doctor was playing a losing game, and that once the officer's heart had stopped beating that a turnaround was unlikely. Instead of continuing to try and separate the women, he kissed Maura's messy, blood-caked hair and stepped away from them.

Maura straddled Jane, beginning CPR as the paramedics lifted the entire gurney. They took off for an ambulance and called for the crowd to clear out. Maura continued to speak to Jane, her hiccups occurring more and more frequently as her throat tightened. The ride to the hospital took what felt like a million years, with the paramedic racing to stop the bleed and collect Jane's vitals.

Upon arrival, doctors crowded around the gurney. Maura called out Jane's vitals, her voice almost robotic, her words meaning nothing to her. She heard the doctor tell her to climb down and go get checked out but was unable to stop pumping Jane's chest. She was afraid of what would happen when she stopped.

"I got her," it was Detective Barry Frost, Jane's partner, who reached out and pulled the doctor from her friend. He wrapped his arms around her upper arms, preventing her from fighting back. She wailed, her voice alarming anyone within a fifty foot radius, and struggled in the man's grasp.

"Jane! Please Jane! Fight for me," Maura screamed, her voice louder and sharper than Frost had ever heard it. "I swear to God, Rizzoli, you don't get to leave me! You don't get to leave me here!"

"Maura," Frost's voice cracked as he squeezed her more tightly to his chest and Jane disappeared into a trauma room. The doctor had gone silent first, then limp. Frost nearly dropped her as her entire body weight sunk toward the floor. "Whoa, there."

The detective called out for a doctor and two nurses were quick to help him lift her onto a gurney. One of them was alarmed by the blood, having missed the entire exchange, and asked where the wound was. Frost explained as well as he could, only then realizing that he hadn't blinked an eye at the gore that day. All he could focus on was Jane, Frankie and now Maura's well-being.

"She's a mess," one of the nurses sighed. "You said she's a doctor?"

"She's Chief Medical Examiner of the Boston Commonwealth so...yeah, technically a doctor."

"She needs new clothes," the woman commented.

Before Frost could muster a proper response, the doors to the ER opened and in came Angela Rizzoli. Tommy, his baby, and Frank Rizzoli Sr. followed quickly behind her. She called out her children's names, her voice hoarse and deep with fear. Frost sighed and mentioned to the nurses that the Rizzoli family had arrived. He told them to go talk to them and that he would stay with Maura until they returned.

While a nurse filled Angela in, Frost did his best to give them privacy and ignore the cries of pain that came from the other side of the room. These cries were somewhat similar and somewhat different from Maura's previous cries. Angela's were significantly angrier. She sounded like a mother bear calling out for her cubs as she stood to fight the enemy that had disturbed their peace. Maura, on the other hand, sounded like she had lost the love of her life. Like there was nothing else after this, if there was no Jane Rizzoli.

Both women were fierce, but clearly more afraid than anything.

"Maura? Maura!" Angela interrupted the nurse, who was offering her a cup of coffee and a place to rest during the surgery, and jogged over to the unconscious doctor. She reached up to touch Maura's face but recoiled at the blood and dirt. "What _happened_ to her? Where is her family?"

"She passed out," Frost whispered. "She performed a life-saving surgery on Frankie while they were down in the morgue and then did CPR on Jane until they arrived here and other doctors took over. I tried talking to her but she passed out and hasn't woken since."

"It's how she deals with stress," Angela whispered, her heart aching for the woman. "Her throat closes and her mind cuts it all off. She wasn't raised to handle trauma correctly."

"I would say she handled it pretty well today," Frost began to feel queasy as he continued to stare at her. "She saved your children's lives, Angela."

"I feel as though I already owe her mine," the matriarch's breathing hitched as she began to cry again.

"I've never seen her like this," Tommy spoke up then, his green eyes soft as they focused on the unconscious woman. "She looks so small."

"Someone needs to call Hope," Angela cleared her throat, her mind on Maura's biological mother. "She needs a mother right now. Frost, you should go wash up. I'll stay with Maura and call her mother."

Angela hopped up onto the gurney and stroked the younger woman's back as she pulled Maura's phone from the clutch a nurse had retrieved. She unlocked it, knowing Maura didn't believe in the passcode due to its predictability and her lack of necessity. She hesitated before clicking on the contacts icon, her eyes lingering on the photo of Jane and Maura that she used as her wallpaper.

Jane was dressed in a Red Sox jersey and Maura was wearing a designer red dress. Jane had her arms wrapped around the woman and her cheek rested on Maura's forehead. Maura, at several inches shorter than Jane, wore heels and still had to stand on her tip toes. Both women were glowing, their smiles wide and their cheeks pink. Angela couldn't help but appreciate how well they complemented each other, Maura brought out everything that was good in Jane.

Jane had always been so hard-headed and rough around the edges. When the detective first brought Maura to one of her Sunday dinners, Angela saw something she had never seen before that day. Jane was relaxed and enjoyed the evening, despite the gruesome workday that loomed ahead. She and Maura joked about a case and Angela even witnessed the brunette tickling the blonde at one point. It was so unlike her daughter to let go, but Maura was Jane's soft spot.

After living in Maura's pool house, Angela had become quite familiar with Maura's many sides as well. While Maura was cheerful and funny when she was with Jane, she was the polar opposite on her own. It was hard for Maura to see light in anything when she got home from cutting open and investigating a murdered child's body. Angela never understood how the woman was able to live like that, until she met her adoptive mother and became familiar with _their_ relationship. It was then that Maura began to make a little bit of sense. Her fears, oddities, and behaviors all added up to a neglectful childhood.

Imagining life without one of them seemed so bleak to Angela. They were fierce, brave, and brilliant women who deserved the greatest happiness that life had to offer. Angela, afraid of scaring Jane away from Maura, chose to be subtle for the first time in her life. She constantly hinted at the two women developing a romantic relationship. There wasn't a day that didn't go by that she didn't remind them that she would love them no matter what and that she thought they were very cute together. When she wasn't dropping the obvious hints, she was setting them up with some of the most intolerable and unlikely men she could.

The women never wavered though. They remained "good friends" and filled their days with gentle touches, loving looks, and quiet love. Perhaps this was all they would ever be capable of.

Angela finally clicked the contact button and felt her heart stop at the short list. She knew Maura was a homebody and that she had a hard time socializing, but over half of her contact list was made up of Rizzolis. The other half was made up of BPD employees and co workers. Angela shook her head as she scrolled down to Hope's name. It didn't escape her that Jane was listed as Maura's emergency contact, and not her mother. Angela knew she needed to reach out to Hope regardless.

Hope answered the phone on the first ring, her voice frantic.

"Maura, are you alright? Where are you?"

"Hope, this is Angela Rizzoli," Angela heard Hope's breathing stop. "Maura is safe. Maura is here, she fainted."

"Oh thank god," the mother sighed, her voice expelling such a deep relief that Angela was almost jealous. "Where are you guys? I'm texting for a cab now."

"We're at Mass General. You've seen the news?" Angela asked, hoping that she had. She didn't have the heart to tell her all that had happened.

"I've seen it. How are they doing?"

"They're in surgery," Angela spoke softly.

"I will check up on them after I get there," Hope promised.

The other doctor came sprinting into the ER less than thirty minutes later. Frost and Tommy were shocked by her resemblance to Maura. She was dressed in black scrubs and had her hair pulled halfway up. Her makeup was done up nicely but even that didn't hide the bags that had formed under her eyes. Years of worrying and grief was written all over the woman's face. She had never felt so joyful now that both of her daughters were in her life, but that could not erase a lifetime of loss and heartbreak.

"Oh Maura," she whispered, passing her hand over the woman's tangled hair. "What the hell happened to her?"

"She performed surgery on Frankie Rizzoli in the morgue while Jane was being held hostage. She also stopped Jane's bleed after...you know."

"Has she even been looked at yet?" Hope checked her pulse and glanced at the worried faces around her. "She needs to see a doctor! She's dehydrated!"

"I only just got here and called you!" Angela defended herself, but knew deep inside that Hope was only worried for her child and that she could cut her some slack.

"M'am!" Hope called out to a nurse. "We need to get her washed and changed! She needs a saline drip and I would like a full work up done to make sure she doesn't have any deficiencies."

Maura began to move then, her eyes fluttering open. She looked dazed as she glanced from person to person, her heart racing in her chest. When she couldn't find Jane's face, she shot upward. Having noticed the woman's green pallor, a nurse raced over with a bucket just in time for Maura to clear the contents of her stomach into it. Barry turned around and walked away immediately, while the others merely looked in the other direction. Hope rubbed the woman's back and pulled her hair out of her face.

"Maura, it's going to be okay," Hope whispered.

"Doctor Isles, how about we go take a shower and get you washed up?" The nurse offered but Maura shook her head as she continued to dry heave over the bucket.

She woke up hoping and praying that it had all been a terrible nightmare, one like the many she's had before, but still a nightmare.

"You need to clean up, honey. If Jane comes out of surgery, it would be best for the both of you if you are clean and relaxed," Hope continued and stepped back to help Maura down from the gurney.

With Jane in mind, Maura did as she was told. Hope agreed to stay with Maura while Angela went home to retrieve some clothes. It was getting late and she knew Maura would insist on sleeping over at the hospital. She would undoubtedly stay awake until Frankie and Jane went into recovery.

Angela drove home in a daze. They hadn't accomplished very much at the hospital. Tommy rode in the back seat with TJ, where he chose to remain unusually quiet as well. When they got to Maura's house, Angela carried the baby in for her son. She laid little TJ on the couch with some blankets and pillows before heading up to Maura's bedroom.

It was in Maura's room that Angela realized how much Maura and Jane had become intertwined. While the rest of the house was set up to look like a magazine, Maura's room was her own. The decor was still unlike anything Angela could ever come up with, but touches of the doctor and the detective were scattered all over the place.

On Maura's bedside table sat another photo of her and Jane. They were dressed up to see the local Christmas tree lighting. Jane had one arm around Maura's waist while Maura wrapped both of hers around the taller woman. Their cheeks and noses were pink from the cold, and their eyes sparkled from all of the pretty lights. Tucked into the frame was a photobooth strip that featured both women. They made different silly faces in each square, happiness radiating from the small images.

The left half of the bed was made up perfectly while the right half remained undone and Angela knew instantly that her daughter had spent the night there. This surprised her though. She knew the girls had many sleepovers, but she assumed that her daughter resided in the guest room. The mother grew skeptical as she stepped into Maura's closet. Designer clothes hung neatly all around her. All but one wall was full of Maura's things; dresses, skirts, blouses and designer shoes. It was the fourth wall that made Angela's heart swell.

Nearly all of Jane's wardrobe, and some new items, had been hung up as well. Angela breathed in the mixed smell of her daughter and Maura's expensive detergent. Going with her gut feeling, Angela pulled down Jane's flannel pyjama pants and a boston police shirt. She opened a drawer to find Jane's favorite pair of knit socks that Angela had made for her. She made a note to give Maura a pair of her own for Christmas.

The mother, unable to resist her curiosity, began sifting through the clothes for new information. She was about to give up and return to the hospital when she felt something rustle in Jane's winter coat pocket. She pulled out a receipt and a piece of scrap paper. Ignoring the receipt, Angela looked at the handwritten note that had been revised and rewritten over and over. It was clear that this note hadn't been touched since the winter before when she wrote it.

 _Maur,_

 _I don't know where to begin. I do actually_ _. I love you. Love love you. Ya know, more than a friend._ _I don't know how to tell you this in words._ _I want you to stop dating all of those men and choose me. Love me. I will protect you and I will never give up on you. I love your factoids and I love your documentaries. I love your morning routine and I love your_ _turtle_ _tortoise. Because I love you._

 _Love always,_

 _J_

Angela's heart stopped beating in her chest as she turned over the receipt to see the Tiffany's logo on the top. She expected to find a pricey necklace listed on it, but deep down inside she knew better.

Jane had bought Maura a ring.

The mother's hands were shaking as she folded the note back up and contemplated putting it back in the coat pocket. It was a split decision to stuff it into her own pocket. She returned the receipt to its home before reaching over to check the other coat pocket. Unsurprisingly, a velvet ring box had been left there. Angela wondered for a moment if Jane was hiding the things there or if she had simply forgotten about them.

"You ready to go yet, Ma?" Tommy spoke then, making Angela jump ten feet in the air.

"Jesus, Tommy, give your mother a little warning next time!" She placed her free hand over her heart and stuck the ring in her other back pocket. "Are you gonna stay here and watch the house while I go back?"

"Will you keep me updated?" Tommy asked and Angela nodded.

"You're a good boy, Tommy," Angela kissed his temple before the two of them made their way to the stairs.

"You think Janie's gonna propose to Maura?" Tommy asked and the mother reached out to smack her son on the shoulder. "What? You were the one who snooped, Ma. I saw you stick that ring in your pocket. Was it Janies?"

"That's neither of our business, T," Angela responded gently. "I just wanted to keep it on hand...in case…"

"Janie's gonna be fine, Ma," Tommy shook his head. "So don't even go there, okay?"

Angela returned to the hospital nearly an hour after she left. It was now nightfall and the hallways of the ER were nearly empty. Angela found Hope, Maura, Frank Sr., and Barry in the waiting area. Maura was now washed up, her hair wet and her makeup gone. They had given her a set of scrubs to wear until Angela returned with something more comfortable. She stood as soon as Angela walked in and met her in the middle of the room. Angela hugged her and let out a sigh of relief as she stroked the back of Maura's wet hair.

"It's going to be okay, sweetheart," Angela whispered. "Our Jane is strong and she won't give up. I know she's fighting for you."

Maura pulled back and looked Angela with a confused expression.

"Ang, if you want to walk back to the recovery unit with me, Frankie is out of surgery," Frank Sr. approached the women.

"Yes, of course," Angela gave Maura one more squeeze before looking her in the eyes. She pulled Jane's pyjamas out of her bag and handed them to the medical examiner. "It's going to be okay, Maura. I will be back soon. Thank you for everything you've done today."

And just like that, the two of them disappeared to the recovery unit on the second floor. Maura stood in the middle of the room with Jane's things in her arms. She pulled the clothes to her nose and took in a deep breath. The scent of Jane was strong.

"I'm going to go change," she spoke softly, her throat aching more than before, and walked to the nearest restroom.

In the restroom, Maura put on Jane's shirt, pants, and socks. She didn't care that the clothes didn't match or that she didn't have the proper footwear for the hospital. All that was on her mind was Jane's safety. She didn't believe there was a God, and yet she found herself begging him to protect Jane. She walked back out to the waiting room and took in the sight of Hope and Barry waiting for her.

Barry had shown true perseverance that morning. He didn't falter once at some of his biggest fears and sensitivities. He stood by Jane and Maura as the loyal partner he had always been. He promised Jane long ago that he would protect Maura when she was unable to. He never expected the time to come so soon.

Hope watched her daughter with solemn eyes. The gut-wrenching pain that Maura felt showed in her face. Maura had always seemed somewhat sad to Hope. She couldn't place if it was from the doctor's cold upbringing or if it was due to her deep love and simultaneous fear for Jane. She resisted the urge to push Maura for answers once she saw how well taken care of she was. Hope was forever indebted to the Rizzoli family, Jane in particular, because they showed her what it meant to be loved.

"How is Cailin?" Maura spoke softly as she sat down beside Hope.

"She's asleep. I figured I would call her in the morning, after she's rested," Hope spoke gently. "I wanted to spend some time with you and see how you were doing."

"You don't have to stay here all night," Maura sighed. "I'm sorry for disturbing your evening."

"I want to be here," Hope pushed past the awkward feelings and smiled at her daughter. "For you."

"I appreciate your support," Maura spoke quietly. The two of them watched as Frost drifted off to sleep and Maura turned to hope. "May I confide in you?"

"Excuse me?" Hope's brow pinched together.

"I would rather not discuss this with her family, for Jane's sake," Maura sniffled and brushed her hair out of her face. "I am so afraid right now. I know that logically we will know the outcome by morning...but it feels like eternity."

"I'm sure this is something out of a nightmare for you," Hope began but Maura interrupted her.

"It is quite literally a nightmare for me. I worry about her. She's the last thing I think of when I fall asleep and the first when I wake up. I frequently have nightmares of her getting shot. If she's not sleeping beside me, I can't return to my sleep," Maura spoke softly, her deepest secrets tumbling from her lips. "I love her more than I can put words to. I've never felt such powerful emotion before her!"

"You two make a beautiful pair," Hope spoke, encouraging Maura to open up. "You compliment each other in many ways."

"I just don't know how she feels," Maura shook her head. "She's so hard to read sometimes. Just when I think I have figured her out, she dives head first into a relationship with a man like Casey or Joseph. I hate them. I hate that they're better for her. That I'm not what she needs. She needs family. Children. Not an emotionally absent wife who doesn't understand her jokes."

"I think Jane needs you more than she lets on, Maura," Hope sighed, her heart breaking for Maura. The fact that Maura believes she is incapable of truly feeling emotion is hard for her to hear. Hope understood what it was like to be written off as cold because of the field they worked in. "Whether she's come to terms with it or not, that woman has feelings for you. I've seen it myself. She would do anything to protect you, anything to make you feel safe."

"That's just her personality though," Maura sighed as Angela and Frank returned to the waiting area. Hope, in an effort to be there for the woman, reached her arm around her shoulders and held her close. Maura leaned into the embrace, her heart continuing to pound in her chest.

It was nearly two hours later when the surgeon returned to the waiting area to update them on Jane. Maura was the first one to her feet. The doctor called for the Rizzoli family and they circled around him. He began by explaining where the bullet entered and exited her body. He then proceeded to explain his concerns regarding her recovery. He was confident that she would recover despite the concerns, which was enough for Maura to finally relax.

"We will take Jane's family back to see her now," the doctor added at the end. Maura took a step forward with the Rizzoli parents and the doctor paused. "Sorry, I meant actual family right now. No co-workers or friends until she is no longer in critical condition."

"Maura is a doctor," Hope interrupted. "She understands how to behave. She needs to see Jane."

"Family only," the doctor spoke then. "Hospital policy."

"Maura is Jane's fiance," Angela interrupted the doctor, who remained skeptical. "They're getting married next year. Let her see her fiance."

Everyone, including Maura, looked surprised at Angela's reasoning. Maura stood, shell-shocked, as Angela linked her arm with Maura's. The doctor didn't say a word as he turned to lead them back to the elevator. He gave them directions once they got there and told them he would be right up behind them after he filled out a little paperwork.

Once the stainless steel doors closed, Maura turned to Angela and Frank.

"You did _not_ have to say that, Angela," Maura sighed.

"You _are_ Jane's family, Maura," Angela shook her head, her eyes gentle. "Just because that doctor has unconventional family views doesn't mean we have to allow him to walk all over you! You saved my daughter's life, the least I could do is allow you to see that she's okay in person."

"I just meant that you could have called me her sister," Maura continued, to which Angela snorted.

"You two are _not_ sisters."

When the doors opened, the trio quietly made their way to Jane's room. They walked past Frankie's room, where Maura caught a glance of him resting peacefully in his bed. He appeared to be sleeping. He didn't look as though he suffered a gunshot wound to the chest several hours before. Frank Sr. held the door open for the two women once they reached Jane's room.

Maura didn't realize she had been holding her breath until Jane's cold hand was in her own. She appeared to be napping. The brunette breathed gently, her body still under the anesthesia that was wearing off. Her normally tan skin had paled with the blood loss and her typically flat abdomen was bulky from bandages. The honey blonde swept her hand gently over Jane's sleeping face, noting the dark bags under her eyes.

" _Jane_ ," she whispered. "Oh, Jane."

"She looks so...small." Angela repeated Tommy's words from earlier in the night. "I've never seen her like this."

"She's so strong though," Maura breathed. "So incredibly strong."

"You think she'll be alright, Doc?" Frank Sr. finally spoke, after a long night of silence.

"I know she will be," Maura nodded confidently and sat up in her seat. "Jane is strong. She isn't a quitter. I believe in her."

"I'm going to go call the others," Frank Sr. kissed each woman on the head, putting all of his personal feelings toward them to the side for the night. "I'll be back later."

After the door shut behind him, Angela sat down in the seat opposite of Maura. Maura continued to trace the angular features of Jane's face with her hands. All of Maura's fears visibly dispelled and all that remained in her expression was love. Angela smiled at the sight in front of her. Her baby was in love with Maura and Maura definitely loved her back. She didn't have to worry or push any longer, they would undoubtedly come closer together when Jane woke up.

"You need to tell her as soon as she's awake," Angela spoke in the silence. "Hell, tell her now. Tell her as many times as you can until she's awake."

"Tell her what?" Maura looked at the woman, pretending to feel confused.

"Don't pull that with me, Maura," Angela rolled her eyes. "My daughter is in love with you and I know you love her as well. I don't have any doubts anymore."

"Jane is my friend," Even Maura cringed at the word _friend_.

It was the word friend that had caused her years of pain and heartbreak. Watching her friend go through heartbreak after heartbreak when she was waiting on the sidelines all along nearly killed her. She had been labeled as Jane's friend again, and again, and again. She knew, after this, that she would have to tell her the truth soon. She had no idea that Angela knew more than she had been letting on and she was trained on reading people's body language.

"You and I both know it is more than that, Maura," Angela smiled weakly. "You're so important to her. Please don't let her settle for anyone less than you."

"Can I have a moment alone with her?" Maura whispered, not making eye contact with Angela. The older woman nodded, stood, and made her way to the door.

"We love you Maura," Angela reminded her. "You're meant to be with her...but we love you even if things don't work out. You won't lose us."

After the door clicked shut, Maura leaned in close to Jane.

"I love you, Jane. I love you so much. So, so much. Please come back to me," Maura whispered to her ear. "I have no doubt in my mind that you're meant to be with me, I just need to to come back. I love you."

Maura, with her hand intertwined with Jane's, felt herself begin to drift off. She could rest peacefully knowing that Jane would wake up soon and that everything was going to be okay.

It was when the sun came up the next day that Maura woke up. Her hair had flattened and she had drool on the corner of her lips, but she was distracted entirely by the sound of Jane's voice. When she opened her eyes, she found Jane propped up in her bed with a loopy smile on her face. It was clear that she had been heavily medicated.

"Maura!" She grinned at the other woman, her smile reaching her eyes.

"Hi," the doctor sat up and wiped at her face. She glanced around the room to find Angela, Hope, Vincent, Barry, and Tommy standing around the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Let's give these two a minute to catch up," Angela gestured to the group, who bid Jane farewell before following the mother out the door.

"What a night, huh?" Jane asked and Maura's face grew hot.

"You scared the hell out of me, Jane!" Maura hissed. "Do you have any idea how you made me feel? I thought you were dead! I thought that I didn't save you! Do you know how stupid what you did was?"

"I had to," Jane spoke, her eyes avoiding Maura.

"No, you didn't," Maura stood and then sat down on the edge of Jane's bed. "You did not have to do that. You don't have to be the hero. I would prefer it if this never happened again."

"I'm sorry, Maura," the brunette responded sheepishly. "I guess I wasn't thinking about you by the time I made the decision."

"Jane," Maura began but hesitated. The brunette looked up at her. "I love you. Do you know that?"

"You're my best friend," Jane nodded but Maura shook her head.

"I'm in love with you," Maura corrected her and Jane's eyes grew wide with disbelief. "That's right. I'm madly in love with you, Jane Rizzoli. You can turn me away, you can hate me, but you will not die without knowing how I feel about you."

"You love me?" Jane squeaked.

"I love you."

"Maur," Jane covered her eyes with her hands and Maura felt her face grow hot. Just when she was ready to turn and leave, Jane dropped her hands and looked her in the eyes. "I'm in love with you too!"

"Wait...are you serious?" Maura's mouth hung open and Jane laughed, nodding. "Jane! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why didn't _you_ tell me?"

"Can I kiss you?" Maura leaned closer to Jane, her pulse pounding in her ears.

"Yes," Jane sighed, leaning in to kiss Maura.

When their lips touched, Maura had to resist losing control. She was gentle with Jane because of her injury, but she didn't want to be. Jane tasted like home. Maura leaned further into the brunette, who wrapped her arms around Maura's neck. After the longest kiss either of them had ever participated in, Jane pulled Maura in for a quick second. Maura sighed a breath of relief before leaning down to kiss Jane's neck.

"I love you," Maura whispered.

"I love you too," Jane grinned.

The rest of the family returned twenty minutes later. Hope offered to drive Maura home to get the girls a change of clothes. Maura was reluctant, but agreed to go with some prodding. Tommy had to go pick up TJ, so Frank Sr. gave him a ride. The other detectives were busy visiting Frankie. Angela walked over and took a seat on the edge of Jane's bed.

"This has always been one of my worst nightmares, Jane," Angela spoke in a very serious tone, which threw the detective off. "I have nightmares about this...the phone call, the hospital wait. I have never felt so terrible in my life."

"I'm sorry Ma'," Jane began but Angela held up her hand to stop her.

"I was in a lot of pain yesterday, I worried sick over you and your brother," She reached into her back pocket then and pulled out the ring. Jane didn't even notice, as she was staring so intently at her mother's heartbroken expression. "But Jane, if you ever do that to _Maura_ again...I don't even know what I will do to you. It won't be pretty."

"She seemed fine this morning," Jane rolled her eyes at Angela's theatrics.

"She wasn't. I have never seen her more... _shattered_. She passed out from stress last night. She wouldn't let anyone touch her or talk to her. She wouldn't leave. I had to tell them she was your fiance for them to let her in here with you. I _hated_ that it was a lie."

"What?" Jane was confused as Angela handed her the ring box. Her cheeks turned red then, when she realized she had been caught.

"I found this while looking for an outfit for her. Really Jane? In her closet?"

"She would never in a million years touch that old coat, so _yes_ ," Jane rolled her eyes again. "Besides, I had no idea she felt that way too! I didn't want to make her uncomfortable and ruin everything."

"So you know now?" Angela grinned.

"Yeah," Jane sighed and held her hand out. "So I will be needing that ring back soon!"

"That's my girl!" Angela stood to hug her daughter's head, making her best effort to avoid Jane's incision. She pulled back suddenly, looking down at her daughter with a bit of judgment and a bit of curiosity. "You're not planning on asking her _here_ are you? Maura deserves better than that!"

"No, Ma," Jane sighed. "But I will ask her."

"Oh, my baby's getting married!" The older woman squealed, clapping her hands.

"Yeah, yeah," Jane looked down at the small box, her heart beating with excitement. "Give Maura the chance to decline my offer first." 


End file.
